DCAT Conference Focuses on Procurement/Sourcing Strategies

As pharmaceutical companies deal with cost pressures, restructuring, and an increasingly global supply chain, they are examining ways to improve all aspects of the value chain, including procurement and sourcing of pharmaceutical ingredients. To address these issues, the Drug, Chemical, and Associated Technologies Association (DCAT), along with its partner, the Pharma Forum and Chemical Group of the Institute of Supply Management (ISM), will be offering perspectives from the pharmaceutical majors and their suppliers on ways to implement a proactive procurement strategy through collaborative and innovative models at an upcoming educational program, the DCAT/ISM Sourcing Summit ’10:Forward Thinking Sourcing. The program will be held Nov. 3 and 4, 2010, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Designed for sourcing and supply management professionals and their suppliers, the program is presented annually in New Brunswick.

“The focus is on the future at this year’s Sourcing Summit,” said DCAT Executive Director Margaret Timony. “The Supply Management Committee has pulled together a dynamic program on the analysis, trends, and best practices that will define the future of supply management and help supply managers deliver value to their companies. We are looking forward to another great turnout for this event. ”

Big Pharma perspectives
Procurement/sourcing plays an important role in pharmaceutical companies’ overall strategies and the successful management of the pharmaceutical supply chain is crucial to realizing those strategic objectives. Two executives from Merck & Co. (Whitehouse Station, NJ) will address that topic. Richard Spoor, senior vice-president of global procurement at Merck & Co. (Whitehouse Station, NJ) will discuss the role of global procurement at Merck, the contribution that the company’s procurement activities play in realizing cost-savings for the company, and challenges facing the industry. Stephen J. Fecho Jr., manager of supply market intelligence at Merck & Co., will discuss the role that market intelligence plays in formulating and executing a procurement strategy.

Increased globalization and the attendant elongation and greater complexity of the pharmaceutical supply are key factors for procurement organizations and their suppliers. Robert M. Reilly, senior director and chief security officer at Eli Lilly (Indianapolis, IN), will address security issues in the supply chain and the need for external and internal partnerships to resolve those challenges. Laurie J. Chipperfield, director of technology and strategic sourcing at Pfizer (New York), will examine pharmaceutical outsourcing in China by addressing issues such as supplier selection, intellectual-property protection strategies, and considerations in contract structures. And Kendra A. Martello, assistant general counsel at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, will address the future legislative and regulatory landscape for API manufacturers.

Collaborative innovation
Supplier innovation is important to keep pace with the changes in the pharmaceutical industry overall, and these dynamics oblige actions by both procurement and sourcing organizations and their external suppliers. The concept of “collaborative innovation” in procurement will be explored by Gregg Brandyberry, CEO of Wildfire Commerce, senior advisor of procurement and analytic solutions at the management-consulting firm A.T. Kearney, and former vice-president of procurement of global systems and operations for GlaxoSmithKline (London). His presentation will focus on practical ways in which sourcing/procurement organizations can achieve not only continuous improvement but true innovation in building value-added relationships with suppliers. And offering a supplier perspective, Eric T. Evans, vice-president and general manager of the global active pharmaceutical ingredient division of Covidien (Mansfield, MA) will provide insight into risk management, including metrics for measuring risk and risk-mitigation strategies.

Further information about the DCAT/ISM Sourcing Summit can be found here.